How to Build a Mobile-First Strategy for Your Local Business

Did you know that consumers have twice the interactions with brands using a mobile device than they do with desktop? We even find 56% of all internet traffic taking place on smartphones and tablets.

This is especially true for local businesses like restaurants.

Needless to say, mobile is taking over the web, which is changing how businesses market and engage with consumers. If you're not already using a mobile-first strategy, then it's time to start.

Here's a look into what it means to be a mobile-first business.

What is Mobile-First?

To understand mobile-first, you have to understand the various "mobile moments" consumers have with a brand.

Here's what a customer's digital journey looks like today:

• The consumer has an issue or desire
• The consumer uses a mobile device to search Google for a solution
• The consumer looks for local businesses offering this solution
• The consumer looks at websites of different businesses
• The consumer looks at online reviews to see which business to visit
• The consumer visits the local store within 24 hours and makes a purchase

As you can see, everything can be done using a mobile device -- no desktop needed. But what if a business has a website designed specifically for desktops.

This is a major issue when the majority of users are going mobile. Imagine the amount of traffic turned away by these sites. Where do you think they go next? If you guessed competitor, then you're most definitely correct.

Those who are putting mobile users first will be the survivors of this shift. Google is already rewarding websites and businesses that adopt a mobile-first approach by ranking them higher in search results.

What Are the Benefits of a Mobile-First Strategy?

There's really one primary benefit of implementing a mobile-first strategy -- getting and retaining more customers.

When you stop ignoring mobile users (which makes up the majority of internet searchers), you give your business a fighting chance to earn more business.

And it gives you a competitive edge. Together, this will drive more traffic to your business (online and offline), which means more revenue channels to exploit.

But how do you go about setting up your mobile-first strategy? Let's find out.

5 Steps to Creating a Winning Mobile-First Strategy

So you decided to put your mobile users first—where to begin? Let's review five simple steps you can take today to develop a mobile optimization strategy.

Optimize your current online assets

Hopefully, you already have a website for your local small business. If not, you can easily build one using best website builder for small business.

The idea is to use a responsive design so that it works on any device your users use. Avoid creating a separate mobile site because this will make it harder to rank both, and it'll take more time and money to maintain.

Use local keywords to optimize your content

Google is already using a mobile-first approach for its algorithm. This means anyone using a mobile device with its location turned on will automatically see local search results (when relevant).

So by optimizing your site with local keywords, you can boost the chances of your website showing up in these results. Be sure to include the cities, neighborhoods, and communities you offer services to.

Claim (or create) your business citations

When you do a local search on Google, what shows up at the top? It's a box with the top three nearby businesses in that industry. This matters because a lot of people are conducting "near me" searches, which triggers Google's Local 3 Pack.

To get here, you need to claim or create your listings in Google My Business. But don't neglect to do the same for all popular directories, such as Yelp, Angie's List, Yahoo Local, and so on.

It's possible to add your citations to over 70 directories in just a few minutes using increase your web presence.

Add video and photos to your internet properties

Mobile users enjoy visual content. It's a lot easier to watch a video than to read small text on a tiny screen. So why not accommodate this by implementing video and photos to your website, social media posts, and even your business listings?

You can do this by adding images of your products, business interior and exterior, and personnel performing services you offer.

Then for your videos, you can show tours of your business, tutorials for using your product, or demonstrating how your service is performed. 

Make it easy for online engagement

Your potential customers are using a mobile device to research your business. This means they're only one click away from making a call to your front desk.

You can put the odds in your favor by adding a click-to-call feature to your business listings and on your website.

But some prefer to text than talk. In this case, you can use GoSite's Messenger tool to enable real-time online chat.

This is better than having a chatbot because prospects and customers can get answers from a live human.

Don't Sleep On Your Mobile-First Strategy in 2021

If you've been operating your small business without mobile viewership in mind, don't make the same mistake this year. As mobile devices become more flexible and powerful, we'll continue to see this trend grow.

People are rarely using desktops and laptops in favor of their tinier counterparts. And as long as you ignore the mobile-first movement, you're at risk of being outdone by the competition.

If you're serious about boosting your visibility and revenue, then give these tips a try. You can make the process easier by using GoSite's mobile app to communicate with customers, manage your listings, and collect customer data.

Get started with a free account today! And don't forget to download the mobile app in the Google Play Store or your iPhone's App Store.